davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The times., 1887-02-18
IN, with FORESTS cavalry aitting about the

men, with Forests cavalry iitting about the
outskirts.
The three Federal batteries had exhausted
their ammunition. Taylor's alone had fired
that morning LOO rounds. Bucllner had Or
dered an advance of three regiments before
noon. They had been met with a binding
fire from Col w. III. l.. Wallacc's brigade
Snow flying in tho air confused them so that
they could not sec their way besides, and
thoy fell back TO their entertainments in dis
order
But presently Bucliner gathered his forces
and came gallantly on again.
McClernand sent word TO Lew Wallace to
aid him. In the absence of positive orders
from headquarters Wallace declined to move.
The place grew hotter and hotter. Col.
John A. Logan was wounded McClernand
again sent word to Wallace, and this time
Wallace ordered forward Col Cruft's
brigade, the first in his division. Hero an un-
fortunate mistake occurred, and several regi-
ments of Federal soldiers fired into each
other, doing serious damage Cruft's brigade
took the places of McArthurs exhausted men,
Crufts men fought gallantly, but at length
fell back some distance and took up position
near the hospital
When Logan was wounded he suggested to
Col. T. L. G.. Ransom, of the Eleventh Illi-
nois, 70 take his place with tho Eleventh.
Ianson, too, had been wounded, but had had
his wound dressed Both were heroes that
day. Lognn's regiment was quite out of am
munition, therefore forced to fall back, when
its commander went TO have his wound
dressed. The Thirty-frst marched back for
ammunition, leaving tho Eleventh alone in
the fray. But the Eleventh was attacked not
only in front, but on both fanlls, aud finally
broke and retreated.
Gen. Wallace still waited, with his division
in fpt. T.(f
second message had been that his fianks were
turned and his whole command was endan-
gered. 1t was then that Col Crufts brigade
was sent to his relief But the Confederate
pillows still swept on. Fugitives from the
fight scattered down the hill behind WGllaces
division. a mounted officer gallopcd by. He
had lost his head completely, and shouted TO
the general: 1--WE are cut to pieccs.p
Then Lew Wallace took the responsibility
OF the order of battle upon his own shoulders.
Instantly he ordered up his third brigade, Col
Thayer commanding, and threw it across be-
tween the broken troops and the advancing
Confederates Other regiments were behind
as reserve. He had barely got them in line
when Pillow and BuclIner, combined, swept
down upon them. The brigade stood like
rock. Hero was some of the most splendid
fighting of the war.
The First Nebraska regiment and Woods
Chicago light artillery received the shocks
first, and hero ut last the Confederatebillows
were thrown back. They bad struck sea
wall, and could sweep no further. "They
withdrew" said Gen. Buckner, "in some con-
fusion, but without panic, to the trenches"
1t was about noon. This was the end of tho
sortle. Lew Wallace had saved tie day at
at Donelson.
The times., 1887-02-18

npon a log wrapped In his blanket till o'clock
In the morning.
So the Federal soldiers stood the night
through AT dawn the light began to shine
upon bitterly cold day. Fires were built
toward the rear then, and companies, in turn
relieving one another, went back and thawcd
their frozen garments and made coffee.
But they had no food, not bite. Their
only breakfast was coffee, and thus they macc
ready to face the day.
For the Confcderates in the fort il was not
whit more comfortable. They lay upon
their arms oil night in the trenches And
yet nobody on either side was disheartened.
The Confederate soldiers were full of fight
and enthusiasm. AT noon the Federal Gen.
Lew Wallace and his Third division of min
gled veterans and raw recruits arrived into
camp in the center with cheers and songs
and bugles sounding. Gen. Wallace rode
Immediately to Grants headquarters and
dined with him OH crackers and coffee. Tho
general was nearly as badly off as his men,
IL was this day that the Interchange of
courtesies between the fleet and the fort took
place.
Meantime there was not much fighting on
land. Rc-enforcements were arriving for
Grant, and were being posted
Grants troops were distributed over line
nearly four miles long. lis own head
quarters were at the log house Of Mrs Crisp,
two miles from Dover, at tho head of Hiclx-
man creek 1t was little to the left of the
center Of his army, and between the divisions
of Lew Wallace and Gen. C. Il. Smith.
So having arranged matters to suit him,
Grant sat down in the midst of his blue cres-
cent of soldiers to starvc out Fort Donelson.
On their part, the Confederate generals in
side the fort were quite aware of their peril
The night Of the 14th Gems Floyd, Pillow
and Bucllner held council and resolved to
cut their way out of the fort through the
Federal lines next morning. Ten thousand
troops were set apart for this grand sortie
The Confederates too had been re-enforced
Brig. Gen. Floyd was the last to arrive on
tho morning of tho 13th with 1900 men.
The times., 1887-02-18


The mortar boat got its name from tho gun
It carried. First heavy wooden float was
built Upon it were erected very thick
wooden walls These sloped inward and were
about eight feet high. They were plated with
heavy iron. Inside was single heavy NOR
tar, with ammunition below the water line.
There was also tent for tho gunners within
the walls.
These mortar boats were considered for
midable twenty-five years ago. But such is
the Improvement made since then in destruc-
tive warfare that one shot from even mod
crate sized gun of Che kind now made would
knock an old fashioned mortar boat into
finders.
One youthful Confederate gunner dis
tinguishcd himself gallantly at the lower
water battery at Fort Donelson. While
Foote's gunboats were peppering the batter
les to the right and left. this youth, John G.
Frcqua, stood perfectly straight at his gun,
taking aim and firing as coolly as IL he had
been squirrel hunting.
snow, boys" said he, "see me take a CHM
ney."
He aimed at the smokestack of On advanc-
ing gunboat. 1t fell, carrying with it the
flag. Frequa threw his cap in the air, yelling
defiantly.
The times., 1887-02-18
THE pEFENsEs OF FORT ooNELsoN.

The bluff upon which Dorolson stood was
100 feet high The fort itself what was
called in military language a Fashioned earth
work, with angles like star points projecting
from the main inclosure outward, and pro-
tected by walls of heavy earthworls. 1t was
so situated that its guns commanded theriy
as far as they could carry. Two water bat
teries were erected OH the slope of the bluff
toward tho river. The larger battery was
the one nearest tho shore. 1t had for arma-
ment 10-inch Columbiad and nino 32-pound
guns. The upper battery was supplied with
two 32-pounders and one riilcd cannon which
carried concal ball Of 1913 pounds. The
water batteries wero built by Iiert Col j.
f. Gilmer, chief engineer of tho western de-
partmcnt of the Confederate army. They
were constructed after the fall OF Fort Henry.
AS soon as that point was captured tho whole
available Confederate force i'll that region
was concentrated at Donelson.
The line OF batteries was extended so as to
take in Dover, where stores of food and anl-
munition were In and out, through salient
and re-cntrant angle, for two miles and
half, the traccry of earthworks and guns
went.
Besides that, the Notifications were pro-
tected with bristling abatis. ltwasa wooded
region, full of "black jack" oak ard other
woods. Tho scrub oaks We're felled, their
branches sharpened at tho point and these
and tho trees were fastened upon the ground,
sharpcncd points outward in what seemed
an impenetrable abatis. 70 get ut Fort Dom
elson the Union troops were obliged to so up
hill over these sharpened points in the face Of
marlsmen whose aim was yet sharper.
On tho east, the river protected the works.
. nf
Lieut. Col. Gilmer says that the effective
fighting force within the fort was $1,000.
Up to tho time the siege began it was COM
manded by Gen. Bushrod Il. Johnson. he
was REINFORCED successfully by Gems. Pillow,
Clarke, Floyd and Buckner, with several
thousand men each. Gen. j. B. Floyd was
the officer highest i'll rank and had COMMAND.
The times., 1887-02-18

forced their way farther up the abatis, then
wavcred and fell back once more.
A curious fact added to tho complications
of the fight at Donelson. The Confederate
forces were largely uniformed in brown jeans.
The dead leaves Of the scrub oak were almost
the exact color of this cloth. The Federal
forces, therefore, in climbing the abatis, could
not tell what was leaves and what was Con-
federate soldiers till line of fire in their faces
told themthc difference
The third time Mor1ison's brigade stormed
the hcights This time they climbed quite to
the rifle pits. The line in front cf them was
one sheet of fire, awful and deadly. just
then musket ball struck Col Morrison in the
hip. Thefuture Illinois political leader reeled
in his saddle and then fell TO the ground. That
ended tho desperate assault, and Maney's bat
terry remained untalSen.
Another of the curious incidents of war.
and sad one, happened here. The flashes
from the guns set fire TO the thiclly cluster
ing dead leaves. They famed up like dry
straw, consuming the dead, dying and
wounded soldiers who lay about in some spots
as thiclly as the leaves themselves A con-
siderable number of the helpless ones wero
burned to death. Col Holman, who had dis
tinguished himself at Fort Henry, was in
terry. His men leaped over in front of their
works, after the assault, and saved such as
they could.
SO the night of Thursday, tho 18th, came
and wore away. Up TO the ARRIVAL of Lew
Wallace, ON Friday, the Federal forces en-
gagged numbered only $1,000 men. The enemy
did not know it, but they were without sup
plies The roads were too heavy to transport
food and munitions and these had been sent
around by water. The morning of the 14th
the Union soldiers were absolutely without
food.
During the night storm of snow and sleet
came on. 1t was terrible. The men had not
dared TO sleep during the night They could
not build fires, for these would have been
merely so many targets for muskctry and ar
tillery from the fort. There were no shelter
tents for them. Dawn found them numb and
stiff with the cold, their clothing wet through
to the skin and frozen on their backs Col.
Crafts J. Wright, Thirteenth Missouri, sat
The times., 1887-02-18
THE PREPARATION.

Turn to your map You will see that the
Tennessee and Cumberland rivers run through
the state Of Kentucky side and side, like twin
sisters. They empty into the Ohio not far
apart. They come near together first inside
tho Tennessee line, and Aow through that
state close beside each other. The Tennes-
see forms part of the boundary between the
two states for some distance. On tho Ten
nessee side, just opposite where the corner of
Kentucky begins, was Fort Henry. Twelve
miles across from it, slightly north of east,
was Fort Donelson, on the Cumberland.
Henry was on the right bank of the Tonnes-
see, while Donclson was on the left bank Of
the Cumberland.
The times., 1887-02-18

gether for counsel Itwas held with all three
generals on horseback. Grant seemed ex-
cited, and as nearly nervous as Grant could be.
His face was very serious, almost overcast.
He held handful Of dispatches and seemed
in profound thought. All at once O light
broke over the commanders face, and then
oil was serene again. OF this moment he
told Gen. Sherman afterward:
~ saw that either side was ready to giveup
If the other showed a bold front, and deter
mined TO do that very thing"
So the commander became strong and
serene again, as usual. Instantly there was
activity. Gen. c. f. Smiths forces OH the
right of the Federal line had not vet
taken part in tho fight. They were ordered
up. Gen. Smith himself, with long, gray hair,
a color bearer by his side, rode along the front
Of his line, q striking inspiring figure. He
told his men he himself would lead them, and
directed them when near enough to charge
bayonet on the rife pits The signal was
given, the column moved forward and was
met by q roar of muslSetry from the rifle
pits.
Col. Tuttle was in the lead with his Second
Iowa regiment The advancing line wavered
a moment under the fire that moved it down,
then steadied and went irresistibly on. When
Tuttle shouted to his men, "ForwGryl!' Then
they made tho rattling bayonet charge 1t
drove the Confederates from their works and
Smiths men occupied them. In the midst of
cheers and shouts from tic whole division the
Stars and Stripes were planted upon the
works of Fort Donelson.. Thus it was oil
over with tho Confederate right
Over on the Federal right McClernand's di-
vision had been swept from the ground il oc-
cupied in the morning. Although Lew Wal
lace's men had checked the retreat there and
stopped the sortie, yet the ground held by
BIcClernnnd in the morning had not been re-
taken. Grant ordered Lew Wallace to retake
it. AS soon as Gen. Smiths division began to
move, Wallace was to attack too. Thus the
Confederatcs would be engaged OH both right
and left. Grant rode down the river to see
that Smith was carrying out the order on his
side; then he hurried up TO the right to watch
Wallaces men execute their command
At noon il looked as il victory was perchec
on the Confederate standard. The Wynn's
Ferry road, which had been occupied by Nc
Clernand, was open for the Confederate re-
treat Buckner had accomplished what 10
had been ordered to do The time Just before
Grant ordered the renewed attack In the af-
ternoon had been the golden moment for CO.
cape. II was lost. Buckner had halted, wait.
The times., 1887-02-18

Immediately after tho surrender Grant,
McClernand and Wallace were made major
generals. Grants commission was dated Feb.
10, and he was Immediately placed in charge
of the military district of west Tennessee
Numbers Of soldiers were buried on the
field where they fell. Some of their graves are
still to be seen. But Of the earthworlSs and
lines OF Notifications at Donelson there is
scarcely q truce. Even so from the hearts of
the contestants that day have faded out the
traces OF the lines which separated them.
Years ago Buckner forgave Grant. When
the northern commander was buried. year
and q half ago, prominent among the pail
bearers, who walked with measured tread be-
side the honored dead, were to be seen tho
soldierly figure and strong, fine face of Gen.
Bucluer.
I'm preparing the story Of Donelson, materials
have been gathered from many sources but espe-
cially from official documents published by The
Unit, United Estates States government from Judge Forces
book, From Henry to Corinth," Lossing's Civil
war in America. old files of The New York Trfb-
mne and Harper's Pictorial History OF the War.
history.l
The times., 1887-02-18
FOUR DAYS, FIGHTING.

To tell the truth, army officers do not
always write tho clearest English, not evon,
alasl regular army officers.
1t Is difficult, therefore, for the historian to
gather from the colonels' and brigadier gener-
ais reports, just how q battle was fought and
how and where the troops stood. Grants re-
ports and orders, what there are of them, arc
models of cleainess, brevity and simplicity
From them we gain more clcar-healcd knowl-
odgo than from most of the rest.
Immediately on tho fall OF Fort Henry,
Gen. Hnllecll began forwarding fresh troops
and supplies as fast as possible for tho reduc-
tion of Dcnelson Boys, on whose cheeks the
rose hadnot yet given place to tan, regiments,
as Judge Force says $50 freshly formed that
they had hardly changed their civil earb for
soldiers uniform" were hurried to tho front
to help out Grant at Doneson.
The times., 1887-02-18
TIE GRAND soRTIE.

In the Confederate council the night of the
18th it was determined that the force in the
fort should attempt to cut its way out on the
Federal right, through McClernand's division.
Driving this division back, it was to be made
to roll over upon Wallace's division in the
center, thus leaving the Wynn's Ferry road
clear. BY that road the Confederates were
to escape to Charlotte, Tenn. Pillow, with
infantry and cavalry, was to make the attack
on the Federal extreme right, near the river
Buckner was to follow Immediately after,
and do for Lew Wallace's division in the
center
Tlat was the lOlau
The times., 1887-02-18

ing for his artillery and reserves to follow him
out of the intrenchments. Pillow had tele-
graphed A. s. Johnston: ION the honor OF .
soldier, the day is ours"
All at once Gen. Pillow sent Buckner word
to come back and take up his position within
the works. He could only obey. As he fell
back with his men he met Gen. Floyd. Floyd
was surprised, and asked what he was about.
He ordered Buckner to stay whore he was till
he, Floyd, could see Pillow. Thus there was
moro waiting. Finally BuclSner, the fighting
general, was ordered to cross TO the extreme
Confederate right and stop Gen. Smith, who
was stoIming the works
The times., 1887-02-18

aLet not your hearts hc troubled. We believe
in God, believe also in mo-"
Then he came down from the pulpit and
made ready his boats for the expedition
against Donelson, which surrendered Feb. IL,
just ono week from that Sunday morning.
Engineers of the Confederate service agree
that the site of Fort Donelson was badly
chosen. 1t stood upon river bluff. Tho
situation was elevated, to be sure, but there
was a ring of hills around it, at from one TO
five miles distance These hills were higher
than the bluff upon which the fort was, and
convenient for the enemy to plant guns
upon.
The times., 1887-02-18
PLAN OF SIEGE.

Feb. II, 1862, the general order was given
Grants mon to march from Henry TO Donel-
son. There were two roads; one, tho Wynn's
Ferry road, leading to Dover south OF Fort
Donelson, tho other north of it somo dis,
tance. The two came together not far from
the fort, the northern road leading directly
to the fort.
Along these two roads the men marched,
starting the morning of Feb. IL. The First
and Second divisions moved forward. The
First division was commanded by Gen. John
A. McClernand, the Second by Gen. G. #.
Smith. They moved forward, McClernand's
division by the right hand or southerly road,
Smiths by the northerly or left band road
They came together two and one-half miles
from Donelson McClernand's forces took
the right wing south of Donelson, Smiths the
left wing north of Donelson. Later word
was sent to Gen. Lew Wallace, who had re-
mained Mt Fort Henry, to bring up the Third
division. he arrived on the 14th Friday)
and took position with his division in the
center.
Thus the Federal forces invested Donelson
in form of a crescent. A diagram of their
position would show them as follows:
Smiths division.
Walace's division. Donelson.
McClernand's division.
There was some skirmishing on the evening
of the 18th between the pickets of the two
armies. On the 18th the battle began in
earnest. Col. VIM r.. Morrison, oe the
Forty-ninth regiment of Illinois Volunteers,
had charge of a brigade that day in McCler-
nand's division. His brigade had some of the
toughest work OF the whole Donelson fight.
Their work was to assault Maney's battery,
on the Confederate left, at once tho most con-
spicuous and inaccessible of the entire line of
works. They started to climb up hill over
the tangled and terrible "black jack" abatis.
A double fire of battery and infantry raled
them fore and aft. Once they fell back, and
were re-enforced. Four regiments started up
the hill second time. They wero met with
hotter fire than before Shrapnel and riflo
balls flew into their teeth thick as hail. They
The times., 1887-02-18
FOOTE'S ELoIILLA.

The Union gunboats had done great service
at Henry. At Doneison the fleet did not dis
tinguish itself greatly, except by conveying
transports containing troops
While Grant, with 1900 men, plowed
across tho mud sea between Henry and Donel-
son by land, ho sent Foote with six gunboats
around by water. They were obliged to go
down the Tennessee and up tho Ohio u short
distance to the mouth of the Cumberland to
Fort Donelson Foote had to make circuit
Of f50 miles to go twelve.
The times., 1887-02-18
THE cARoNpELET.

The Carondelet is good illustration of the
old-fashioned gunboat 1t was the first to
arrive on the morning of Thursday, Feb IS.
1t opened fire. 1t may be mentioned that the
old Carondelet, with the same commander,
Capt. Wake, was also tho first to afterward
pass down the river under the batteries at
vicksburg. E
The rest Of Foote's fleet with the trans
ports, containing six regiments Of soldiers,
arrived Thursday evening. Friday morning
the Presbyterian flag officer opened lire from
his feet of six gunboats, four ironclads and
two wooden ones There was severe fight
of an hour and half, which did not result in
q brilliant success for the fleet. The boats
engaged were the ironclads St Louis, Caron-
delet, Louisville and Pittsburg, and the
wooden boats Tyler and Conestoga. -Four of
the boats were disabled. The first fire from
the Carondelet had disabled one Of the
32-pounders in the water batteries. The
same shot instantly killed Lieut.. Joseph
Dixon, brave Confederate officer and the
accomplished local engineer who had assisted
in preparing the defenses Of Donclson. That
was about the only damage apparently done
by the fleet. Then Commander Foote drew
off tho remains Of it and dropped down out
of range.
The times., 1887-02-18
FORT DONELsoN.
TBenty-6fth Anniversary of tho
Great Siege.
THE STORY TOLD ONCE MORE
When, Where and How tie Famous
Battle Was Fought.

Men Who Afterward became Distin-
guished That Took Part in It-Politi-
cal Leaders, Senators, Governors and
Presidents That Were to Do-''Either
Sidc Ready to Give Up''--rrom Henry
to Donelson--The sortie That Failed.
Blue and Gray.
Once again the young people gather around
and listen while veteran lips tell the story of
Fort Donelson. That story was made twenty
five years ago this February.
The writers and raconteurs have preserved
the history more faithfully than the map
makers have. Neither Fort Henry nor Fort
Donelson is marked upon tho newest aliases.
Nature herself has not obliterated their trnces
so speedily The trees yet stand as SCARED
veterans of the mighty fight Bullet mark,
stump and broken limb arc yet to bo seen
when in winter they are unclad Of kindly
leaf and vine
The times., 1887-02-18

Again the nervy boy took aim, clear and
straight. Shortly he sent a ball directly
through porthole. and then tho gunboat fell
back disabled. The portfolios OF the boats
were unite lar.oc